KOTA KINABALU, Sept 16 — The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) did not cease to exist upon the enactment of the Federal Constitution but remains in force, with the commitments and responsibilities contained therein continuing to be relevant and binding on all parties, said Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said this was in line with Article VIII of MA63, which, among other provisions, requires the governments of the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak to take the necessary legislative, executive or other measures to implement the guarantees, undertakings and recommendations contained in Chapter 3 and Annexes A and B of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.

“This term reaffirms the commitment and responsibility of all parties that agreed to sign the agreement to form the Federation of Malaysia,” he said in a Facebook post in conjunction with Malaysia Day today.

Armizan said Malaysia, which was formed in 1963, has now reached 63 years, although Sept 16 only became an important date in the official national calendar and was officially celebrated as Malaysia Day from 2010.

He said understanding the history of Malaysia’s formation should not be limited to the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948, the social contract among the three major ethnic groups or the independence of Malaya in 1957, but must also include full recognition of MA63 as the “birth certificate” of the Federation of Malaysia.

“In conjunction with this 63/63rd anniversary, let us together understand the value and significance of Malaysia Day by embracing the terms of the agreement signed by the nation’s founders, particularly those enshrined in Article VIII of MA63,” he said.

He added that Malaysia did not require a new agreement or what some parties described as a “new deal”, as the provisions of MA63 clearly indicated that the agreement did not expire following the enactment of the Federal Constitution.

“The commitments and responsibilities outlined therein remain relevant and binding — past, present and future,” he said.

Armizan also expressed hope that Malaysia would continue to develop into a stronger and more advanced nation while ensuring prosperity and security for all Malaysians. — Bernama